Emily nodded.
“See if you can distract him. Help him spend time away from people and things that remind him of the trauma.”
“The anniversary of the shooting is coming up.”
“Ah.” Priya hummed. “That’ll be a tough twenty-four hours for him. It would be great if he had some pleasant distractions that day.”
“I can do that. I can take him out, keep him busy. Would that help?”
“It would, and I’m sure he’d appreciate it, but Emily, make sure you take care of yourself as well. Okay? Don’t neglect your own feelings. You mustn’t feel badly if you can’t give Michael all the support he needs. At the end of the day, it would be best if he gets professional help.”
“Understood.”
The cheesecake arrived, a dripping concoction of crème and cherries. Chris grinned and held up three forks.
Priya leaned over and kissed him, snatching forks for her and Emily. “I’m very fond of your brother, Emily, even though he is a bad influence.”
“Yeah.” Emily stabbed the cheesecake and popped it into her mouth. “He’s the worst.”
***
When Emily returned to the set, Michael could have sworn she brought the sun with her. He’d been in a foul mood the entire lunch time. His head had hurt so much he was willing to bet the devil was up there, wearing cleats and tap dancing. He hadn’t been able to dislodge the image of Jane’s broken body from his head. Even going for a walk around the block hadn’t helped.
Seeing Emily did. When she parked her car in front of the house and waved at him, Michael realized what a dipshit he’d been. At this rate, he’d drive her away.
He needed to get his act together.
He met her at the car. “How was your break?”
“Fine, thanks. I did what I needed to do.”
“Good.” He considered reaching for her hand and stroking her soft skin, but worried the gesture might not be appreciated. “Em, I’ve been an idiot. I want to apologize.”
“There’s no need, but I think maybe I should apologize.”
“Why?”
“Because I pushed you to talk to Lacey when you clearly didn’t want to. I won’t do it again, Michael. I have your back.”
“I’m not sure I deserve it.”
“Of course you do.” She reached for his hand instead.
Immediately, his pain began to lessen. “Are you sure you’re not some kind of magician?”
“What does that mean?”
He closed the distance between them and breathed in her scent. “You take my pain away.”
“Oh, Michael.” Emily smoothed her hand over his forehead and down to his cheek. “I don’t want you to feel pain.”
“And I don’t want to cause any for you. I guess that makes us quite a pair.”
“I guess it does.”
Michael tangled his fingers in her hair and brought his mouth to hers. Her plump lips welcomed him, making him want to drink deep. Her sighs quieted the uproar in his soul. He’d never known such peace as when he touched this woman and he never wanted to stop. Emily’s quiet trust made him feel as if he could conquer any obstacle, even the ones he set before himself. He wanted to be a good man for her, to be her champion, her star. He wanted to be the guy who had all the dots connected, the one with all the answers to her questions.
How could he be that person when he couldn’t even answer his own questions? For months, he’d had himself convinced his life was moving on, that he’d managed his trials. With each passing day, he was becoming painfully aware that he hadn’t managed much at all. He’d been living in a vacuum. The closer he got to the anniversary of the shooting, the more he began to wonder if he had anything to offer a woman like Emily. She deserved happiness, not fear and unease.
